Viewing Microsoft Windows Information

When installing software onto your Microsoft Windows machine, it is important to be aware of the software's system requirements. Some software products have different versions of their software specific to the version of Windows you have installed on your computer. To find out important information about your system that will be needed when selecting what version of software to install, follow these steps:

32-bit or 64-bit

Your computer may have a 32-bit or 64-bit version of Windows installed. The 64-bit version of any Operating System allows larger amounts of computer memory to be used for computation. Some software comes in both a 32-bit or 64-bit version so that the 64-bit verison can take advantage of the improved performance of the 64-bit Operating System.

If you have a 32-bit version of Windows, you will not be able to install the 64-bit version of any software package, you shold always select the 32-bit version.

If you have a 64-bit version of Windows, the 32-bit version of software will work; however, the 64-bit version offers better performance.

Windows Edition

Some software will not work on some editions of Microsoft Windows. It is important to be aware of the Windows edition you have installed on yoru system when reviewing the system requirements of any piece of software.